The Different Study Types
As you begin working with the Traffic Stats module, the first step is selecting the study type that matches your analysis goal. Each Traffic Stats option - Area or Route - offers a different analytical perspective. Choosing the correct type ensures the results align with the questions you need answered.
Output
Both Area and Route Traffic Stats studies deliver the same metrics, including:
- Average, median and percentile speed
- Speed variability (standard deviation)
- Average, median and percentile travel time
- Sample size (probe-vehicle observations)
- Estimated volume (based on functional road classes - FRC)
- Segment length and functional road class
- Street names and posted speed limits
- Direction-specific segment identifiers for mapping and analysis
However, the two study types are designed to support different analytical objectives.
Area Traffic Stats
What is it
Area Traffic Stats studies provide a comprehensive view of travel behavior and network performance within a selected geographic boundary. Instead of focusing on a single roadway or predefined route, Area Traffic Stat studies evaluate how speeds, congestion, sample sizes, and estimated volumes vary across every segment within the chosen polygon.
By aggregating historical and recent performance indicators, Area Traffic Stats studies help agencies understand how an entire district, neighborhood, or corridor cluster is functioning. This network-level perspective enables faster diagnostics, easier comparison between sub-areas, and more informed decisions about operations, planning, and investment.
Designed For
This study type is well-suited for planning, monitoring, and policy analysis where a multi-corridor or district-wide perspective is required.
Route Traffic Stats
What is it
Route Traffic Stats studies allow you to define a specific corridor and generate key performance metrics such as average speed, travel time, reliability, and count along that path. This supports detailed evaluation of how a single, continuous route performs over different time periods or before and after operational changes.
Designed for
Route Traffic Stat studies are designed for analyzing traffic performance along a specific, defined corridor, as well as the individual segments within the routes predefined by the underlying map.
They are particularly useful for measuring travel conditions such as travel time, speed, and reliability, on a particular route (e.g., commute path, transit corridor, delivery route, freight corridor) across different time periods (e.g., peak vs. off-peak) or in before-and-after studies evaluating changes such as construction impacts, signal retiming, or roadway modifications